Purdue point guard Braden Smith took Tuesday night’s loss personally. So, on Friday, he made sure to take control right from the beginning.
Smith turned a steal on the first possession into an easy layup and finished with 24 points, 10 assists, seven rebounds, and four steals in 37 minutes as the No. 11 Purdue Boilermakers defeated No. 21 Michigan 91-64.
“When Ohio State happened, I was really upset about it,” Smith said, referring to the loss that ended Purdue’s 26-game home win streak. “I felt like I let the team down. I felt like it was my fault and I know they’re going to say it’s not or whatever. But to me, as a competitor and as a person, that’s who I am.”
Smith has been a key player since his first season three years ago. Along with shooting guard Fletcher Loyer, Smith earned a starting spot in their first year, and he’s received all-Big Ten honors in the last two seasons.
However, he’s often been overshadowed by 7-foot-4 Zach Edey, the two-time national player of the year.
This season, though, Smith has been the consistent leader for Purdue (16-5, 8-2 Big Ten). While he didn’t set season highs in any major categories, he made an impact right from the start and was the standout player throughout the game on Friday.
Smith shot 10 of 17 from the field, committed just one turnover, and energized a defense that forced a season-high 22 turnovers, turning them into a 29-8 advantage in points off turnovers.
How good was he? Smith came close to achieving a triple-double, something that has only been done once in school history by Joe Barry Carroll. It’s been almost 50 years since Carroll posted 16 points, 16 rebounds, and 11 blocks against Arizona.
Smith came close to that feat a couple of times this year.
He looked like the player Michigan’s first-year head coach Dusty May had seen on television Tuesday when Smith struggled with a 3-of-14 shooting performance. But on Friday, Smith was the difference in the game.
“Braden is going to get 10 assists every night and when you have a point guard that’s making the right plays, that’s keeping everyone involved, it’s tough,” May said. “I watched him a couple of possessions and his focus and simply just play the game, helped him make plays on both sides of the ball.”
May had expected a strong performance after seeing Ohio State rally from a 16-point first-half deficit to pull off a 73-70 upset. But Smith was even better than expected. His steal and layup on the opening possession led to another turnover on Michigan’s second possession and three more turnovers in the first 3 1/2 minutes, helping Purdue jump to a 13-2 lead.
Smith wasn’t done yet, and this time he wouldn’t allow a repeat of what happened against Ohio State.
“I thought he was active defensively, he got some steals, got into passing lanes, was just really active on both ends,” Purdue coach Matt Painter said. “I thought his reads tonight were, he just kept things simple. He kept looking forward, that’s what we need from him.”
